Perforated music-sheet.



I gm zwg No} 891,021. PATENTED AUG. 25, '1908.

ELK. SANDELL. 'PERI-ORATED MUSIC SHEET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1906.

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- H. K. SANDE'LL.

- PERFORATEDMUSIG SHEET.

PP I T I .12 1906. A L 0A ION ILED MAB. 3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

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PATENTED AUG. 25, 1963.

H. K. SANDELLQ PERFORATED MUSIC SHEET. APPLICATION ItiLED MAB.12,- 1906.

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UNITED sra'rns PATENT onrron.

HENRYv K. SANDELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, OF

- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

rn'nrona'rnn Music-smear;

Application filed March 12, 1306. Serial No. 305,671.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HENRY K. SANDELL, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the (ion nty of-Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Perforated Music-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of perforated music-sheets of the class employed for reproducing, by automatically playing stringed instruments of the .viol family, musical compositions according to which the perforations in the sheet are relatively disposed.

' Although my improved construction of music-sheet is adaptable for playing any of various'stringed instruments belonging to the family referred to, I have especially devised it foruse with the self-playing violin shown and described in United States -Let-.

' ters Patent No. 807,871 dated December 19,

on the 27th day of February, 1906.

1905, and with devices forming features of improvement in the mechanism set forth in said-patent and which features are shown and described in my pending application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 303,17fifled e erence is had to the aforesaid patent and application, familiarity with the mechanisms of which and their functions and operations will facilitate understanding the present invention, The mechanisms referred to are, generally stated, the electro-magnet-acti'iated fingering and sounder devices in series, the

electroema'gnet-controlled means cooperating L with the sounder-devices for moderating the loudness of tone produced by their action upon the violin-strings, all of which are disclosed in' said patent, and the picker-finger devices, the sounder-depressing device and the sounder-reversing devices disclosed in said application.

-Hav1ng invented the aforesaid mechanisms for electro-mag'netic operation under the control of a perforated music sheet causedto travel across an electrical contact-roller and contacts engaging therewith vals throu h the perforations to close, at interdetermined .by the latter, an electric circuit for energizing the mag-nets, to cause the mechanisms .actuatedby them to perform their functions, it has devolved upon me. to so construct a music-sheet as to adapt it to. control these mechanisms in a manner tocause them to produce in the automatic Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908:

playing of the instrument, artistic effects similar to those introduced by skilled performers playing it in the ordinary way. These artistic effects relate to expression and intering of the strings to produce the effects which are known to musicians under the significations' spiccato saltato arpeggio accent, diminuendo portamento crescendo, legato, staccato, trill, shake,-pizzicato, chords and slur,

To this end my invention consists in a per forated music-sheet having the peculiar features of construction illustrated 1n the drawings an'd'defined in the claims.

Each of the four figures in the accompanying drawings represents a portion of a music sheet which may be of anyrequired width and embrace a scale of any desired number of note-perforations to conform to the instrument to be played. The present illustra tions, however, are narrowed to enable them to be represented Within the prescribed d imensions of the drawing-sheets.

In the drawings, Figures 1,2, 3, and4represent, each, by a plan view, a'portion of a per forated music-sheet, and each portion has sections marked. off by transverse broken lines, for convenience of illustration, and each section has represented upon it a different' arrangement of perforations which I ing'the different effects will be located in those parts of a music-sheet, as .an entirety, where they are required for 'interpretation in the playing of the particular composition for which the music-sheet is cut.

master-sheet or pattern-sheet illustrated is ire - pat marked off, 'by intersecting lines at rightangles to each other, into ,uniforin rectanguiar spaces, by which to readily locate and measure the perforations; but the sheets on which the copies are. made need not he provided with such spaces, but may be blank. The direction of travel of the music-sheet is indicated by an arrow on each figure.

Referring articularly to Fig. 1: The section of the sheet at the left-hand end of the figure is perforated for spiccato playing. This involves raising and lowering the sounder at each of a plurality" of melody notes being played in succession, and reversing' the sounder or bowing device, to move it back" and forth on the string or strings in playin the successive notes, to produce a semi-s accato effect. The eight uniform pierforations' a, control electro-magnets for epressing note-producing fingering-devices of said patent, and the row of four similar perforations a respectively in line with the second, fourth, sixth and eighth perforation a, counting from the left-hand end of the figure, control the reversing devices, described in said application, to reverse the sounders when actuated through the perforations a; while the two parallel series of small circular perforations a near the margin of the sheet, the members of which are equally spaced apart, control two of the four electro-magnetS, which are in a row behind, and are inclined relative to the. sounderma ets, for interposing a rock-bar in the of the rotatingsounder-shafts to raise the 0 crating sounder from its string at the end 0 each note played by it, asdescribed in' said patent. 1

The next section in order, of the sheet, is perforated for saltato playing, by spring -mg the bow or sounder on the stringlt- 18 .playing. The perforations b control fingering devices for producing musical notes. Near the edge of this section are provided two parallel rows of spaced perforations, each row consisting of a seriesof spaced small, round holes I), succeeded, after an interval, by an elongated hole 6 which is succeeded I by another series of spaced holes I), and the latter is succeeded, a ter an interval, by an-, other hole '11". The holes b and b control the bowing by actuating. the sounder-regulator of the aforesaid patent to raise each sounder from its string first after a succession of short, light engagements therewith through holes 6 then after a' longer engagement therewith through hole 6 then like the first engagement through the next hole 5 and iinally like the longer engagement through perforations l) respectivel coinciding, crosswise of the sheet, with perforations Z T he section in Fig. l denoted by the head ing Arpeggio represents four rows of elongated perforations 0, involving different lengths, all being perforations through which circuit closures are made for depressing at predetermined intervals fingering-device magnets for producing musical notes on the strings of the instrument. The two rows of round and relatively small spaced perforationsc near the margin'of the section, with a similar perforation c in advance of the inner row control the electro-magnets provided. for regulating, as aforesaid, the degree of depression against the strings of the Sounders, to intermittent-ly lift the latter.

Thesection in Fig; 1 denoted by the heading Accent, contains an elongated perforation d for a musical note produced by closing through that perforation the circuit which controls a fingering-device magnet; and the elongated perforation d near the margin of the sheet is provided for closing the circuit through the e'ectro-m agnet which controlsthe magnet, energizing of which effects simultaneous depression of the soundermagnets and souhders to a lower plane for increasingthe pressure the latter against the strings for accentuation, in accordance with an improvement set forth in said app-iication.

The section of Fig. 1 which is headed 'Diminuendo, signifying, in music, a gradual diminution in the volume of tone, shows a series of fingering-'device-controlling elongated. perforations e, of equal length, with their adjacent ends successively overlapping one another; and near the margin. of the sheet is shown a series of elongated ierforations 6 with their ends overlapping ike, but more extensively than in the case of the perforations e. A single perforation e would sufiice,'however. The two rear-perforations e are of the same length as the perforations 6 res ectively in line with them, and

the two a vance perforations e .are shorter and of equal length relative to each other. The circuits containing the aforesaid. inclined row of electrosmagnets, for regulating the loudness of playing by the soundersagainst the violin-strings, are closed through the perfor'ationsc togradually diminish the ion ness of playing of the sounders of the musical notes determined by the fingering-devices controlled by circuit-closing contacts through the perforations e.

For'playing simultaneously all or several of the violin-strings with pizzicato accompaniment for picking or twanging them, the arrangement of perforations is employed which is represented in Fig. 2 in the section of the sheet headed Duet with pizzicato accompaniment. At f is shown a long perforation throu h which to close the circuit of an electro1nagnet of, say, an E-string fingerlng-device, for producing a melody-note and along opposite sides of this perforation are rows of round, small perforations f and f,-

' rations g and 9 like those adjacent to the perforation f. At It is provided a series of spaced elongated perforations through which to'close the circuit of, say, a D-string fingering-device electro-magnet, and at 'L is provided a similar series of perforations through which to close the circuit of, 'say, a G-string fingering-dev1ce electro-magnet. Near the margin of the sheet, adjacent to the last named heading, is a row of spaced perforations k, and parallel with the row his a similarly arranged row of" like perforations k through which to close the circuit of the electio-mag-nets controlling picker-device magnets respectively ofthe D and G strings I described in said application. Each pair of tions is, 70 close circuits of the picker-device v perforations k k is 1n alinernent, crosswise of the sheet,.w1th a air of perforations, h, 't, sov

that in the trave" of the sheet the perforaelectroemagnets to engage the pickers intermittently with their strings while fingeringdevice 'magnets for those strings are energized intermittently through the perforations h 'i'. A fingering-device magnet for the E-string and one fer" the A-string'are, meantime ener ized through the perforations f and 9, While the circuits of respectively adjacent fingering-device magnets are closed intermittently through the perforations f f, and g 9 to vibrate those magnets and produce the effect of .a shake? in playing, involvin-gthe slurring action of the link-members of the fingering-devices disclosed in said patent.

The section of Fig. 2 headed Pizzicato contains a longitudinal roW of holes 1 in position to register with a contact which is con nected, as shown in said patent, with a magnet of a picker device; and at the rearmost longer one of the holes Z there extends a longer perforation Z parallel with which, in

different planes, extend similar perforations Z, Z? and Z in line with contacts controlling the circuit-closures respectively for the magnets of the picker-devices of the other three strings. At 1% are shown melody-note perforations on different planes through which to close the circuits of different fingering-device magnets, of the E-string, and in advance of and alining with one of these perforations m is a longer perforation n; and perforations 'n, n and a like the perforation n, are provided in proper positions in the sheet for closing the circuits by contacts of fingering the strings simultaneously, all the picker-dcvice magnets are simultaneously energized through the perforations 1 ,1, 111, thus producing the pizzicato effect in playing.

The arrangement ofthe perforations disclosed in the section 0 Fig. 2 headed Chords is for producing -the effect of broken-chord playing on the violin. To

this end. a perforation 0 for a G-string contact of a fingering-device magnet and a siniilar perforation pfor a D-string contact are provided in line with each other, transversely of the sheet, and these overlap at their rear ends the forward ends of two longer perforations 9 and 7", respectively inline'with contacts that control A and E string fingeringdevico magnets. Similar longer perforations 0, p ,-g and 1' aline with and are in rear of the perforations 0, p, q and 1", respectively. Thus, when the perforations 0, 2 encounter the contacts in their paths, the respective fingering-devices simultaneously pitch. two of the notes in the chord to be played, and these are succeeded by the contacts which thereupon register with the perforations q and 7" causing fingering-devices on the A and E strings to pitch only the two higher notes of the chord; and all the notes of the chord are then sounded when the perforations 0 p, 1" register With'their respective fingering device-controlling contacts.

I By successively overlapping at their rear ends, according to the representation in Fig. 2 in the section headed Slur, similar elongated perforations s, in different paths for encountering difierent fingering-device controlling contacts in succession, and preventing cessation of the encounter of the most advanced perforation with its contact until the encounter of the next perforation in or der with its contact takes place, the transi tion of pitch by one fingeringalevice to the next produces the effect of a'slur.

The section of the sheet denoted Portainento, in Fig. 3, contains an arrangement of perforations, all for controlling fingeringdevice and sounder magnets according to the aforesaid patent to produce the effect in playing of gliding from one tone to another without break. Thus an elongated perforation t is provided to register, in the travel of the sheet, with a contact controlling a fingering device eleotro-magnet of, say, an E-string, and from the rear end of this perforation in Fig. 3 is perforated, a long perforation to is there extends inclinedl r downward and hook- Ward a row of spaced sins-ll, successively I overlspping perforations P, of which three are shown, terminating coiucidently with the forward. end of an elongated pe t in different plane from the p V and in position to register with a cent n 1, act

- controlling the electro-magnet of a lingeringdevice of the Pi-string or of lVith the rear end of the pol. alien t coincides the forward end of siin perforation f, in a different plane to register with conioth or string.

tact controlling fingering-device electro magnet, ss'y'of the E- s ring and from the rear end of the perforation t? there extends upwardly and backwerdly a row oispaced small, successivelyoverlapping perforations a, of which four are shown, terminating coincidental with the Iorward end of an elongated perforation t in e plane-to register, in

the travel of the sheet with a contact controlling the electr c-magnet of a fingering-define for, sa t, the E-string, also. Thus, upon completion of the playing of the not through the perforation t other "fingering-devices are internuttently and quickly actuated through the perforations i to connect the first note with the note played throughjthe perforation that the end of which a note is played through the'p'erfora'tion t and is carried, by energizing through-the perforations i other Ifingering-device,niognetsin succession, as in to the other;

the case -of the perforation t,- to the note played through the perforation t In this way no neck occurs from one melody-note The described. arrangement of perforations for portainento playing is shown duplicated for playing, say, the 22s string, and the perforations in the duplicated, set are denoted by reference charmoters t, t, It, i i and i to identi y thorn with the respectively corresponding first-descril ed set there,-

perforations in the of: I I

To produce the crescendo ei'lect for which the intermediate section of the sheet formed in a psth'to encountera contact con-- trolling the rnsgnet of afingeringdetice, of,

say, an E string. Within the length of this perforation is provided, in a path to encounffter' contacts which controlthe electro-inagnetsof. the aforesaid device for regulat ng the degree of loudness of playingof the rotary Sounders, four similar perforations u: in sue- 'eessively adjacent planes, with their adjacentends overlapping one another, theeduence-end-of the foremost alining, crosswise of the sheet, with the ,s'drance end of the'per- ."foration g; Alonger perforation 21 with its rear end coincidentwith that of the perforation' it, isjplaced to register, in the travel of the sheet, witht ie contact which controls the eleotro-insgnet of'the aforesaid device for simultaneously depressing all the Sounders.

Thus, when the fingering-device controlled through the perforation it begins to play, the

to gratin-ell increase the pressure of the sounders against the strings, by the circuitclosures through the perforations uflend thereupon. the magnet of the sounder-depressor is energized through the perforation okes of the sounder-n1ag11et5 are regulated n to lower the plane from which to depress the sounders against the strings and still for tl ier augment the loudness of playing for producing the desired crescendo efiect.

The section of the sheet denoted Legato.- in Fig. '3, V connected pit ing between successive-notes.

To this end the electro-nie net of a reverse'ru device of the before mentioned application is energized through a perforation v while a fingering-device magnet is energized through the perforation c, and after another tone has been produced by energizing a fingering-device magnet through the perforation 'v, the

e of which slightly overlaps the coincident sdNsnc'e-ends of the perforations o and 'v.

is perforated to produce smooth,-

The ret'erser is out of action While the perforation '1, 3S treverslng the contact'of' lingering-device magnet, and thesoundermagnet in series with the said fingeringderice magnet therefore then" rotates in the normal direction, wluch is'contrary to its. (11-.

rection of rotation under'the influence of the revcrser-dovice, Thus, the effect of reversing the boW-sction is produced'in the transition from one tone to the other,

, The staccato effect in playing is produced by the arrangement ofperforations in the sheet represented in the} first section thereof in Fig. 4. Circuitrclosures of fingering-device magnets occur through a series of spaced perforations w on different planes, Witl perforation to, through which a contact closes the uit of a -re erser-device Thu pression of s fingering-device magnet through a iaerforetion w, and the attendant engagement with the string of a sounder, the

Inagnetof which is, as explained in said pat ent, 'urseries with the fingering-device .mag-

each of which alines, crosswise of the the brief interval of de nets" for that string, the direction 'ofrotation of the sounder is reversed fronr the normal direction of rotation thereof,- and the sound errnagnet is denergized each time a 'perforaa tion to clears a contact, thereby to abruptly terminate the musical note, while the noteforation. As the perforation y passes over trill a long contact controlling the circuit-closure of. a

fingering-device magnet, the perforations 1 a'ss'intermittently over a co'ntact controling an adjacent fingering-device magnet in the same row' to actuate that fihgering-device vibratingly while the note represented by the. perforation y is being played by the respective sounder in series with the said fingering-devices. The result is a trill-eifect in playing. Another, or additional, trill-ing efiect is produced by providing two parallel longitudinal rows of spaced short perforations 3 and y with the members of one row in stag ered relation to those. 111 the other row. Then these passoover contacts controlling the electro-magnets of adjacent fingering-devices on the same string, the magnet-armatures are-actuated to-vibrate the fingering-devices against the string.

The effect of the shake, with which term the last section of the sheet in Fig. 4 is headed, is produced by closing the circuit of t to the other,. as shown.

a fingering-device magnet through a long perforation 2, between rows of spaced smallperforatlons 2 and 2 the members of which 1 at equal intervals, (between which, of course,

they become denergized in succession) to play against the string with the efiect that is produced by a human performer in vibrating a finger against a string for the same purpose. The patternshee't*thus described affords a guide in cutting music-sheets, and the person laying out such a sheet need only copy the arrangement of perforations in any section to prpduce the described effect thereof in the desired place on the music-sheet undergoing construction.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent i s 1. A-perforated music-sheet for mechanically-played musical instruments of the'viol family, provided with an elongated note per foration of a string of one pitch, small noteperforations in rows along opposite sides of said elongated perforation, the members of said rows being in staggered relation from one row to the other, a'row of perforations at one side of said elongated perforation representing a note of a string of another pitch, and a row of perforations through which to control the action of a picker-finger against said lastnamed string, the perforations in said last-named row alining, each, with a different perforationiin the rows of said stringnote perforations, the whole afiording an'arrangement of perforations for duet-playin with pizzicato accompaniment.

2. A perfhrated music-sheet for mechan ically-played musical instruments of the viol family, provided with a series of noteperforations successively arranged through which to actuate the fingering-devices of one string, note-perforations in rear of said series, alining with each other crosswise of the sheet and through which to actuate simultaneously fingerii'ig devices of all thestrings, a row of spaced perforations to one side of said first named series of perforations, with the ad vance end of each of which a perforationin said row coincides, and a series of perforations at the rear end of said row extending parallel and coincidingwith each other and with saidrear note-perforations and through which and the perforations in said row the picker-finger devices of the instrument are actuated to produce the effect of pizzicato playing. I

3. A perforated music-sheet for mechanically-played musical instruments of the viol family, provided with an elongated perforatron representing a note, and a row of spaced smaller. perforations along each side of said elongated perforation, with the members of said rows in staggered relation to eachother from one'row to the other and through which to alternately energize electro-magnets of fingering-devices on opposite sides of the electro-magnet of the fingering-device which is energized through said elongated perforation, and produce the shake efiect in playing. g

I HENRY K. SANDELL. In the presence of W. B. DAVIES, J. H. LANDES. 

